Welcome!If you're here, you are probably wondering about coming up for a
visit. Our hours are generally
Monday through Thursday, 7 - 9 PM EST or 8 - 10 DST August thru April
This of course is all dependent on when we'll be here too! Our observatory is open so long as the University is holding classes, September through the the December Holiday. We pick up again Mid-January, and go until the middle of May. Special accomodations can be arranged, but by NO MEANS GUARANTEED! Inquiries can be made by emailing Laurence.DeWarf@villanova.edu. A full and detailed academic calendar can be found in the Registrar's office at http://www.villanova.edu/enroll/registrar/calendar/.
We offer this as a free service to our students and our community, so there is never any sort of fee or registration required before individuals arrive. Need directions? Then head down this page here for more information...
Groups:
We do ask that large groups (10+) please call ahead and tell us of your plans. You can contact our Observatory director, Mr. Laurence DeWarf by calling (610)519-4824 or dropping him an email at Laurence.DeWarf@villanova.edu . We do ask that you contact us at least a week ahead of time! Please let us know the age of the group you are planning to bring, and an approximate number so we can best accommodate you and your group.Special Events:
During special Astronomical Events we do our best to have a good 'ol fashioned open house chock full of Astronomers, information, and maybe even hot chocolate to keep you warm on those cold winter nights. Lunar Eclipses, Comets, Rare Planetary conjunctions (like Mars in 2003), and the like are all fair game. You can check out our own Dr. Frank Maloney's space at http://astro4.ast.villanova.edu/ar/ar.htm for some info on upcoming astronomical events. We like having these sorts of open houses, so if you heard about something interesting then there is nothing stopping you from tossing us a line and asking!Getting Here:
Don't know where Villanova is, or where to go when you get here? Keep on scrolling down! But please remember - All observations are WEATHER DEPENDENT! Check the weather before you leave; rain and clouds are the enemy!- Whether you choose Planes, Trains, or Automobiles, the trip out to Villanova is quite simple and direct.
- Directions to the Main Campus can be found here
- The Observatory is located on the 4th Floor of Mendel Science Center, pictured in Red on the map of campus below.
If you take SEPTA's R-5 train, the "Villanova" stop is directly north of the Mendel Science Center. If you are coming from the Philadelphia direction, simply walk through the tunnel under the tracks and the proper building will be in front of you.
A Map of the Campus:
